Guide to Restaurants in Delta, Colorado

The hub of Delta, Colorado is a convenient spot for travelers to dine. Throughout the area, new eateries are springing up, leaving even locals with questions about the best restaurants in Delta. A few such places stand out.

If you enjoy Italian food, Daveto's Restaurant on Main Street is an excellent choice. Of course they have pizza, including bbq chicken and white sauce varieties, but they are more focused on pastas. Canoli is also a popular choice and can be filled with meat or a vegetable variety. A dinner plate consists of a good size helping along with several pieces of garlic bread and a salad. Smaller portions are available.

Pros: Newly remodeled, the atmosphere is clean and fun. The food is excellent, and the variety is good. Vegetarians and those following a low-carbohydrate diet alike can find dishes to choose from.

Cons: It can get rather loud. Tiled floor and bare walls along with a typically full dining room can create so much noise that it's difficult to talk across the table. Diners might have to wait for a table, something unexpected in Delta, and the price is a bit stiff, more like what one would expect from a chain restaurant. Downtown is not an easy area to find parking, either. Although it shouldn't be a problem most evenings and weekends, during the lunch rush, finding a spot could take up a lot of time. Finally, although the pasta is good, it doesn't seem to be freshly made.

For Mexican food, Fiesta Vallarte, also on Main Street, is a great stop. This authentic Mexican restaurant has a huge menu with meat, chicken, fish and vegetarian choices. Meal combinations and ala carte portions allow for even more choices. The margaritas are popular, as well. They also serve some "American" food and have a kids menu. The meats are tender, and dinners are served with beans and rice, making for a full plate.

Pros: The Fiesta Vallarte menu has tons of choices, so everyone should be able to find something to eat, and it tastes great. The staff is very friendly, even by Delta standards, and there is a lot of food for the money.

Cons: The Fiesta Vallarte menu has tons of choices, so it can take forever for you to find what you want to eat. Although this restaurant is probably a better deal than Davetos in terms of how much food you get for your money, it is still rather expensive since they recently raised their prices. Being downtown, it is also difficult to find good parking, although Fiesta Vallarte is only half a block away from a public lot that has lots of space. Friday nights may be a difficult time to get in the door, as well, as a line typically forms down the street. Consequently, it can be crowded and warm inside the restaurant.

If your budget doesn't allow for these two restaurants' kinds of prices, the Ocean Pearl's Chinese food is one more Delta restaurant that serves up good fare. Located at the intersection of Highways 50 and 92, they have the typical kinds of food available at Chinese eateries: cashew chicken, sweet and sour chicken, peking duck and so on. What makes them more popular is their weekday lunch buffet that costs 2/3 what these other restaurants charge per plate. The food on the buffet is much more flavorful than a lot of other Chinese buffets. The staff is great at making sure they keep water glasses filled and plates cleared.

Pros: This restaurant is in a big space, so there is little chance of having to wait in line, even when they are busy. The food is pretty good, and the buffet is a great bargain.

Cons: Flavor choices are rather limited, and soft drinks are very expensive, costing ¼ the price of a buffet for a small glass. And if you don't get the buffet, the prices mount pretty quickly.

All in all, there are quite a few good restaurants in Delta, but these are three of the best. The variety in types of cuisine is a happy coincidence, emphasizing the variety of choices in Delta restaurants.